Detecting sports fields.

Max houser · Jun 22, 2021

as a personal rule I never cut a plug in an active field... that being said here in my County in SC Metal detecting Playgrounds and athletic fields are actually banned. They are banned in the rules and right on the sign by name " No metal detecting in this area." I detect local parks which only have that verbage near playgrounds and athletic fields. some of the baseball fields here date back to the early 1900's... I have found stuff on the outskirts and parking areas... but most of the fields have been "upgraded" and dozed a time or two so I know there would be good stuff but how deep?
and no I'm not into night hawking...

jmaryt · Jun 22, 2021

have hunted sports fields for years without say so.never had any issues, and I use a 31" t handled 'Sampson".people have approached me, but as they get close, they suddenly turn away!..I believe it's because I smell bad, and I do!..my wife claims I should see a doctor, and the "red flag" is always flying.i think I will take her advise!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

GKL · Jun 23, 2021

T-Man said:
I hit the sidelines during sports season and save the fields for during the winter. Most of the good stuff is from the sidelines though.

It would seem most good finds would be on the sidelines, also look around concession stands, if any. Also detect any grass that is walked on from where people would walk from the bleachers to where their cars are parked, coins might have been dropped from people pulling car keys out of their pockets.

(personally I might prefer to avoid playing fields as being much less likely to have finds as the sidelines, and thereby avoid any potential problems as well as maximize my detecting time to areas more likely to have finds)

(if asked to help find something lost on a playing field I would do that)

Tom_in_CA said:
I do most of my nice manicured turf hunting at night these days. So peaceful. So serene.

.....maybe another reason Tom hunts at night - (click on link :lol:

)

https://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=3311644#post3311644

Tom_in_CA · Jun 23, 2021

Max houser said:
... here in my County in SC Metal detecting Playgrounds and athletic fields are actually banned.....

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the reason for this is either one of the two reasons : 1) Someone being totally obnoxious, going @ broad daylight waltzing through a game or whatever, who couldn't take a warning/scram. 2) Someone who went in ahead of time asking "Can I ?". And thus got this wonderful rule written to address their pressing issue.

Max houser said:
...
and no I'm not into night hawking...

Depends on what you mean by "night-hawking". The term is usually applied to "illegal" hunting. Right ? But that's not what I'm talking about when I say "go at night". What I'm talking about is when there is NO SPECIFIC disallowance. Thus not illegal. Yet still, someone could still take offense because they think you'll leave a hole, blah blah. So it's kind of like nose-picking: When you choose discreet timing (so as not to offend the squeamish) are you hiding an illegal activity ? No. You are just practicing decency.

georgeinsc · Jun 23, 2021

I will detect sports fields when there are very few people around. No need to set off some KAREN. One local park the people working there said we see you here frequently and cant find where you have dug an item so feel free to go where ever you want. I had always worked around the fields until one evening as it got dark i decided to work straight across the football field to my truck. Half way across a 10k ring came out of the sand. I have covered that field more than once and that is the only gold i have found.

grf1868 · Jun 23, 2021

georgeinsc said:
Half way across a 10k ring came out of the sand. I have covered that field more than once and that is the only gold i have found.

Isn’t that always the way? A site coughs up something good and you get your hopes up then nothing. Same
Happened to me the other day. My very first target was a walking liberty after that nothing but zincolns and a couple clad dimes.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jmaryt · Jun 24, 2021

georgeinsc said:
I will detect sports fields when there are very few people around. No need to set off some KAREN. One local park the people working there said we see you here frequently and cant find where you have dug an item so feel free to go where ever you want. I had always worked around the fields until one evening as it got dark i decided to work straight across the football field to my truck. Half way across a 10k ring came out of the sand. I have covered that field more than once and that is the only gold i have found.

yep! "karens" with "kids" can be vicious!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

GKL · Jun 24, 2021

grf1868 said:
Isn’t that always the way? A site coughs up something good and you get your hopes up then nothing. Same
Happened to me the other day. My very first target was a walking liberty after that nothing but zincolns and a couple clad dimes.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can relate, did a 2 hour hunt today in a small now unused recreational area where earlier this year I found a Merc next to an old, now unused, basketball court, there was some areas further away from the court I had not yet detected so I thought just maybe there's still another unfound silver past detectorists missed :lol:

my first dig was a memorial penny, I know, no biggie but I was glad to start off with any coin rather than trash :lol:

but after that it was just trash :shock:

(amazing how some trash can give a coin signal :lol:

) but at least I am not wondering IF another silver was hiding in that area :lol:

and next hunt I'll go elsewhere. Hey, I still had fun trying and got some needed exercise !

Cherry Picker · Jun 25, 2021

I hunt the most worn areas. Next to the goals on soccer fields, Near home,
pitchers plate & 1st plate on baseball fields. Sidelines, near center field, on Football fields.

jmaryt · Jun 25, 2021

Tom_in_CA said:
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the reason for this is either one of the two reasons : 1) Someone being totally obnoxious, going @ broad daylight waltzing through a game or whatever, who couldn't take a warning/scram. 2) Someone who went in ahead of time asking "Can I ?". And thus got this wonderful rule written to address their pressing issue.

Depends on what you mean by "night-hawking". The term is usually applied to "illegal" hunting. Right ? But that's not what I'm talking about when I say "go at night". What I'm talking about is when there is NO SPECIFIC disallowance. Thus not illegal. Yet still, someone could still take offense because they think you'll leave a hole, blah blah. So it's kind of like nose-picking: When you choose discreet timing (so as not to offend the squeamish) are you hiding an illegal activity ? No. You are just practicing decency.

tom! you are just too smart! believe strongly, it's the second reason! asking permission!..now why would somebody do a fool thing like that?..just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

jmaryt · Jun 25, 2021

Detector said:
I hunt the most worn areas. Next to the goals on soccer fields, Near home,
pitchers plate & 1st plate on baseball fields. Sidelines, near center field, on Football fields.

this is correct! no matter where they are on the field! ya want to find stuff?..hunt where people have been!...period!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

jmaryt · Jun 25, 2021

georgeinsc said:
I will detect sports fields when there are very few people around. No need to set off some KAREN. One local park the people working there said we see you here frequently and cant find where you have dug an item so feel free to go where ever you want. I had always worked around the fields until one evening as it got dark i decided to work straight across the football field to my truck. Half way across a 10k ring came out of the sand. I have covered that field more than once and that is the only gold i have found.

perception is everything! that, and the "well experienced" ability
to "cut a plug" properly!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

amc rulz · Jun 25, 2021

I hit the small town sports fields and have never had a problem. If it’s a locked gate I avoid it. My favorites are the ones used for 100+ years. Too bad I picked most clean over the last ten years.

GKL · Jun 25, 2021

amc rulz said:
I hit the small town sports fields and have never had a problem. If it’s a locked gate I avoid it. My favorites are the ones used for 100+ years.
Too bad I picked most clean over the last ten years.

.....I think that is the case in my small town, I've only been detecting a few years, and it is seems other detectorists picked the public areas mostly clean long before I ever started :lol:

......so I look at my public hunts as a fun challenge to try to find the few goodies past detectorists missed :lol:

(did find 2 Mercs they missed, one last year and one this year so far !)

Detecting sports fields.

Max houser

Full Member

jmaryt

Elite Member

GKL

Tom_in_CA

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georgeinsc

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grf1868

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jmaryt

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GKL

Cherry Picker

jmaryt

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jmaryt

Elite Member

jmaryt

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amc rulz

GKL

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